1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for storing compact discs and inserting and retrieving them into and from a computer disc drive.
2. Description of the Related Art
Millions of personal computers have an internal compact disc (CD) drive. Many of these drives handle one disc at a time. These discs are manually inserted into a tray which moves the disc into position to be read or written on. Other configurations have employed CD changer mechanisms to facilitate the use of several (as many as seven) CD's which can be moved from a storage position to the read or write position. In these prior art configurations, the drive and changer mechanism comprise one unit. This makes it difficult to upgrade the drive portion of the computer without replacement of the changer portion also. Further, the prior art changer mechanisms have generally been adapted from audio changers, and are unduly complex and unreliable for high-duty-cycle computer applications. Moreover, the prior art mechanisms cannot be used to store the CDs on the shelf in a handy, environmentally safe, container, adapted for easy selection and use with the computer.